


Bei Mir Bist Du Schon (To Me You Are Beautiful)

by generalofchaose



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bucky is a really good dancer, Dancing, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Skinny!Steve, Steve is a tiny punk, Swing Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-14
Packaged: 2018-05-06 16:16:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5423648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/generalofchaose/pseuds/generalofchaose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tonight was the night he’d decided to tell him. To tell Bucky how he felt. It was exactly one year since they’d met, at another ballroom like this, both taking swing dancing lessons for the first time. Bucky, of course, had been amazing. He picked up moves so easily, his fluid motions and wide enthusiasm the delight of the instructors and the envy of the rest of the class. Steve, on the other hand, skinny, short, and awkward, his two left feet tripping over each other as he tried to stay on time with the beat had almost dropped the class after the first week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bei Mir Bist Du Schon (To Me You Are Beautiful)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work. 
> 
> Ever. 
> 
> *hides*

“And the winning couple for the beginner round is… number thirty-six: James Barnes and Natasha Romanov!”

Steve broke into a large grin and whooped and clapped with the rest of the crowd, laughing when he saw the expressions on his friends faces. “I told you!” he shouted over the cheering, “I told you you’d win!”

Natasha swatted playfully at his shoulder, face bright and happy, and stood up, helping a dumbstruck Bucky to his feet. She had to practically drag him to the front of the large ballroom to accept the small trophies the announcer was holding out for them.

“Well done you two!” the announcer congratulated, shaking their hands as he gave them their trophies. “Now, onto the intermediate round!”

Again Natasha had to drag Bucky out of the way as the intermediate winners were announced. Steve laughed at the sight of the petite (but strong, he’d learned that the hard way) Natasha forcibly moving the wall of muscle that was Bucky Barnes and dodged around the crowd to meet them in the side corner of the room.

“I told you!” he said again, giving them each a hug.

“I can’t believe it.” Bucky still had a dumbfounded look on his face, staring at the little statue in he was turning over in his hands. “We actually won.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Wipe that pathetic look off your face, Barnes. You were dancing with me. Of course we won.”

“And she’s modest, too.”

Steve nearly jumped at Clint’s voice behind him. “When’d you get here, then?”

“Oh, about,” Clint looked at his wrist, checking a non-existent watch, “Seven seconds ago. Congrats, you two!” He tugged Bucky into a hug, slapping him on the back. “Looking sharp, Buck. How come you don’t dress this nice when I take you out, huh?”

Bucky smiled sweetly at Clint putting an arm around Natasha’s shoulders. “If you were as pretty as Natasha here, I’d dress real nice for you, Clint.”

Clint laughed as Natasha picked Bucky’s arm off her shoulder like it was a particularly disgusting dead rodent.

“If I was as pretty as Nat, I wouldn’t have to drag your sorry ass to the bar any time I wanted some company.”

Bucky put a stern expression on his face. “Now, now, my friend. Don’t sell yourself short! Well…” He glanced very obviously at Clint’s crotch and raised his eyebrows as if to say, ‘What can you do?’

Clint gasped dramatically, and bent into a mock fighter’s stance, winding his fists comically. “Why I outta…”

“Have at me!”

As Clint launched himself at Bucky, Steve couldn’t help but give Bucky a once over, taking in the fitted red button down and the black slacks that did truly ungodly things to his friend’s ass. Clint was right. He did look nice. _Really nice._ Steve felt his face go a little hot, and was glad of the low lighting in the ballroom.

“Barnes does clean up rather nice, doesn’t he?”

This time Steve did jump. “Jesus, Natasha!” Seriously, his friends had to start wearing bells because he hadn’t even noticed her sidle up next to him while Clint and Bucky mock-wrestled. Granted, he’d been a little distracted.

Which Natasha noticed, of course. “You seem a bit flushed, Steve. Is everything alright?” She said loudly, concern flooding her voice while she gave him the most shit-eating grin he’d ever seen.

Immediately Bucky let go of Clint where he’d been holding him in a headlock and put his hands on Steve’s shoulders. “You okay, Stevie?” This only made Steve blush harder. Bucky tried to put the back of his hand against Steve’s forehead, but Steve quickly pushed the hand away.

“I’m fine!” he protested.

Bucky leaned in slightly. “You sure?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “God, Buck, I’m fine. It’s just kinda hot in here, that’s all.”

Bucky frowned, then jerked his head in the direction of the doors. “You wanna get some air?”

Steve opened his mouth to say, no, no really he was fine, but Natasha interrupted him.

“You boys go outside. We’ll be in here.” She nudged Steve towards the doors, giving him a significant look. Steve narrowed his eyes at her, wanting to tell her just where she could put her _significant looks_ but Bucky seemed to take Natasha’s words as an invitation to drag Steve across the ballroom and out the door.

“Bucky, really, I’m fine!” Steve’s protests fell on deaf ears and soon they were outside, Bucky pulling Steve towards the patch of grass in front of the building.

“Just sit down, ya punk.” Bucky fixed him with a stern look before flopping onto the grass.

“Fine.” Steve muttered, sitting next to him. He reached out to flick Bucky’s ear. “Jerk.”

Bucky caught Steve’s hand and flashed him a grin. “Don’t I know it.”

They sat like that for a second: Steve leaning into Bucky, his hand in Bucky’s before Steve cleared his throat slightly and sat back, taking his hand with him. He looked away, putting his hands in his lap. He knew why Natasha had pushed them out here. Tonight was the night he’d decided to tell him. To tell Bucky how he felt. It was exactly one year since they’d met, at another ballroom like this, both taking swing dancing lessons for the first time. Bucky, of course, had been amazing. He picked up the moves so easily, his fluid motions and wide enthusiasm the delight of the instructors and the envy of the rest of the class. Steve, on the other hand, skinny, short, and awkward, his two left feet tripping over each other as he tried to stay on time with the beat had almost dropped the class after the first week. In fact, he’d gotten as far as explaining to one of the instructors that he didn’t think he’d be back the next week when Bucky had intervened.

“Hey, no, don’t quit!”

The man, the one all the followers (and some of the leads) were ga ga over was jogging up to Steve, a look of pure panic on his face.

Steve had given him an incredulous look. “What do you care?” he’d asked, rather sullenly. He didn’t want to have this conversation, certainly not with the guy who was clearly the best in the group.

The guy had looked away, tugging at his earlobe. “It’s just, when you’re dancing, when you’re not thinking ‘bout steps or timing or nothing, just, you know, _dancing_ , you look like you’re real happy. Like you’re having the time of your life.”

Steve had scoffed, but the instructor had raised an eyebrow and said, “Swing isn’t about being smooth or looking good; it’s about enjoying yourself and having a good time dancing with fun people.”

“You know,” the man said hesitantly, “I could help out out. If you wanted.”

“Help out?”

“Yeah. Like… with moves and timing and stuff. If you wanted.”

“I…” Steve gaped at him. “I don’t even know your name.”

“Bucky Barnes.” Bucky thrust his hand out.

“Steve Rogers.” Steve took it. “Actually… I’d like that.”

And then Steve had had the full force of one of Bucky’s really brilliant smiles directed entirely at him, and, well, he’d fallen just a little bit in love.

“Whatchu thinking ‘bout, Stevie?” Bucky’s voice cut across Steve’s memories, and he smiled fondly, looking over at his friend who’d adjusted himself such that he was on his back, weight on his elbows.

“How we met.” Honestly, he was still surprised by the whole thing. Best and worst dancers in the class getting so close, becoming friends. Going to lessons and social dances together and making friends with other dancers. Entering and winning competitions (although that last one was all Bucky). Being a part of New York City’s dancing scene together.

“Oh yeah!” Bucky sat up suddenly. “It’s been a year!”

Steve stared at him. “You remembered?”

Bucky shot him an exasperated look. “Course I remembered! It ain’t every day I get to teach tiny punks how to dance!”

Steve laughed. “Not a tiny punk, jerkface.”

“Yeah you are. Look at you!” Bucky gestured at Steve’s ripped dark jeans and faded long-sleeve t-shirt.

Steve shoved him. “Shut your face,” he grinned.

Bucky shoved back, lips curling into a sneer. “Make me.”

Steve froze, eyes darting to Bucky’s lips for a brief moment. _Make me._ He wanted to. Oh, he _wanted_ to.

“Stevie?” Bucky looked concerned. “You okay?”

“I…” _Do it, Rogers. You said you’d do it tonight so fucking do it already._ Steve licked his lips. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Bucky looked even more concerned. He shifted closer to peer into Steve’s face. “What’s wrong?” he demanded.

Steve looked away. “Nothing’s… wrong per-se.”

“Then what is it? Is everything okay?”

“I…” Steve started to pick at the grass with the hand closest to Bucky, wanting to say it, but unable to make the words come out of his mouth.

Bucky put his hand over the one Steve was using to pull the grass out of the ground, stilling it. “Steve. Look at me.” Steve did. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“Yeah.” And he did know that. He really did.

Steve fidgeted slightly. He closes his eyes and took in a deep breath. “Dyouwangoutwime?”

“What?”

Steve felt Bucky’s hand tighten on Steve’s ever so slightly, and let a tiny bit of hope form in his chest. “Do you wanna go out with me sometime?” Suddenly the hand was gone. The hope was quickly replaced with dread and he started back-tracking. “I mean, you don’t have to or anything I was just—”

Then there was a mouth over his and Steve’s eyes opened in shock, but it was gone as quick as it’d come and there was Bucky staring at him and _holy shit Bucky had just kissed him._

“What?” Steve whispered.

Bucky grinned. “That means yes, Stevie.”

And then Steve’s face broke into a huge smile, bigger than the one he’d been wearing when Bucky and Natasha had won. “Cool,” he said, feeling breathless.

“Cool?” Bucky laughed. “That’s what you’re gonna say? _Cool?”_

“Oh shut up.”

“Make me.”

And this time, Steve did.

Natasha and Clint found them later, curled into each other on the grass, watching the stars above them, feet tapping to the faint rhythm coming from the ballroom.

“Dammit,” Clint cursed.

“I told you,” said Natasha, smugly, holding out an expectant hand. Clint dug out his wallet from his pocket and put a twenty into her palm.

“Two weeks, guys!” Clint grumbled, “Two weeks!”

Bucky lifted his head and stared at them. “Did you guys… bet on us getting together?”

Steve narrowed his eyes. “But Natasha knew I was gonna tell you tonight.”

Clint rounded on Natasha. “Oh, you cheater! You dirty, no good, little _cheat!”_

Natasha raised an eyebrow. “It’s not cheating. It’s using the information you have at your disposal.” She gave Clint a sweet smile. “Thank you for the twenty, Clint. Now I can take you all out for celebratory ice cream.”

Clint seemed to be doing his best impression of a fish so Bucky got to his feet, helping Steve up after him. “That’s real sweet, Nat. What a great friend, ain’t she, Stevie?”

“Sure is, Buck. Clint?”

Clint clamped his jaw shut and glared at his friends. “A real pal,” came the reply through gritted teeth. He sighed heavily. “Fine. Let’s get some goddamn ice cream.”

As the four of them made their way across the street to the little ice cream shop, Steve reached down and grabbed Bucky’s hand, entwining their fingers together. Bucky looked down at their hands, then up at Steve’s face. He gave Steve another one of those truly brilliant smiles that made Steve want to lean up and kiss him. So he did.

“Come on, lovebirds! Ice cream’s a-waiting!”

Steve pulled back, giving Bucky a smile of his own. “I’m real glad you didn’t let me stop dancing, Buck.”

“Me too, punk.”

“Jerk.”

“Seriously guys, get over here!”

Steve laughed, and dragged Bucky over to their friends, feeling absolutely euphoric. Dancing, ice-cream, his friends, Bucky. Who could ask for a better night? Not him.

**Author's Note:**

> *peeks out of hiding*
> 
> Um.
> 
> I wrote this because I really like swing dancing and I've been reading a lot of stucky to avoid studying for my final exams.
> 
> Title comes from the popular Andrew Sisters song "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon" (listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orph2wkLFbI)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
